Interludes
by rinabina
Summary: A selection of interludes between Lunar Chronicles characters while on the Rampion. Topics include: romantic breakthroughs, friendship building, and drinking! A series of drabbles that have kept me occupied and sane while waiting for Winter. All the normal pairings. Enjoy!
1. Scarlet

Interludes

Chapter 1: Scarlet

 **Author's Note:** A long-suffering brain child after I'd finished the Lunar Chronicles. As we wait for _Winter_ to arrive in a couple of months, here are a few "interludes" between characters on the Rampion.

Disclaimer: All characters and previous events belong to Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles

* * *

The passageways of the _Rampion_ were quiet at night. Well, if you could consider the hallways of a roaring, rumbling spaceship 'quiet.' And if you could call space after 23:00 'night.'

Whatever. There were no boots clacking on metal paneling, no cutlery rustling in the galley, and no chatter from Iko. The air out of the vents was smooth and slow, as if the computer herself was drawing deep, sleepy breaths. Scarlet lay on top of her bunk, covers still pinned beneath her. Her red curls was fanned out behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling.

They were currently speeding the opposite direction around Earth, in an attempt to meet up with an orbiting satellite. They were supposed to liberate some sort of Lunar prisoner, but the whole thing sounded a little too easy. Not that she was entirely sure she wanted another Lunar on board anyway. The girl seemed harmless enough. She had been stranded in a satellite for seven years, the least they could do was rescue her. Either way, they were scheduled to arrive at the satellite's location by the morning.

She let the still air settle around her as she tried to lull herself into a fitful sleep. The fatigue from the events in Paris had subsided after a few days and the grief had settled into her bones like a new scar. They'd been aboard the _Rampion_ for almost a week now, and she had become too wired with nerves to sleep well. The future was a complete unknown. Scarlet missed the quiet stillness of her farm. She missed the familiarity of the creaky floorboards in her cottage, and the damp mist that hugged the grass in the mornings. In space, every moment outside the windows was the same; inky black infinity stretching in every direction. It was lonely. When she thought about the vastness of the universe outside the ship, she felt a shudder down her spine. The anxiety crushed down on her lungs as if she'd been jettisoned out the hatch. She felt more claustrophobic in space than she would have trapped in her own closet.

Her red hoodie was hanging from a hook on the other side of the room. The zipper tapped repeatedly against a wall panel with the ship's movements. The sound cut through her thoughts like nails on a chalkboard. With a loud sigh, she pulled herself from her bunk, threw the hoodie around her shoulders, then dropped herself back down on the thin pallet mattress. Her hair curled comfortingly around her neck as she pulled her hood over her head.

She tried to think of more positive things. She was far more grateful for the crew and her new friends than she let on. It felt nice to be surrounded by people her own age, people she felt she had more in common with than anyone back on Earth. The ship was large enough that they weren't climbing over each other every second of the day, but she still longed for moments alone. Mostly moments alone with Wolf. Scarlet drew a deep breath and let out a pathetic-sounding sigh. _Wolf…_

His quarters were across the passageway. Night after night, she held her own breath, in hopes that she could hear his. The low, deep rumble of his breaths comforted her. If she thought hard enough, she could still remember his warm chest against her back from the train. Hands clasped tightly around her waist, grasping her as though she would disappear if he let go.

She groaned and pulled the ties on her hood so tightly, she was encased in darkness for a moment. In her little cocoon, it was quiet. The deafening roar of the engines were muffled by the well-worn cotton surrounding her head.

Her thoughts wandered to the next morning once again. _If_ things went well and _if_ they somehow succeeded and eradicated this girl from her prison, the mission would shift. Timelines would condense, urgency would resume and it's possible things could change, drastically, very quickly.

If she wanted quiet time with Wolf, there wouldn't be a better moment. Possibly ever.

The thought constricted her chest even more and she pulled open her hood to take a deep, cool breath of air. Before she lost her nerve, she shoved herself out of bed. As she lifted her foot to take a step, the door to her room slid open with a hiss. Scarlet squinted at the ceiling, wondering if Iko was tampering with the controls. She felt a gust of warm air out of the vents and balled her fists.

"Iko…"

"He's not asleep," a small voice hummed from the com pad. "He's as restless as you. And everyone _else_ is asleep."

"Do you have any idea how weird this is?" Scarlet hissed, feet still locked to the floor by her bed.

The lights flickered indignantly. "Do _you_ know how weird it is to have little parasites walking around your insides?"

Scarlet cringed. "Fine. I'll go. Can you just...not watch?"

"Not a problem," Iko squeaked, before going silent.

Scarlet grimaced at the thought as she took one last, deep breath before slipping through the open door and into the deserted passageway. She tip-toed to Wolf's door and paused. Now what? Knock, open, call out?

Instead she pressed a palm flat to the metal panel that made up the door. It was cool against her nervous, sweaty palm. It vibrated slightly with the engines; a thin hum against her skin. She pressed herself closer, as though she could attempt to see through the steel some how. Was he stretched out on the bunk, curled in a corner, or pacing back and forth? His body was hardly ever still; he was always moving, bouncing, ready for the attack.

She thought for a moment about how connected they had been a few days before on their hurried trip to Paris. Focused on stealth and speed. Hands clasped, guards up, attached at the hip, acting as a unit, breaking down personal barriers all the while… She realized how different life had become in such a short time. Earlier in the day, Wolf had essentially proclaimed his love for her and yet she couldn't even fit in alone time with him. Had she ruined things already?

The tingle of desperation tugged at the back of her throat and she hurriedly lifted her other hand to knock. Before her knuckles could rap against the brushed metal, the door slid open and a warm arm encircled her waist to pull her inside. The door closed behind her.

She was thrown against Wolf's chest instantly, and engulfed in his arms. He smelled clean and the damp, comforting scent of the outdoors was clinging to his skin. He was warm - so, so warm. His hands moved on her body, across her back, to her shoulders, as though he was testing her for injury. The moved up her neck, until they rested on either side of her face. His eyes were wide and wild as they met hers. He didn't hesitate before kissing her, soft and slow.

Scarlet was stunned, but the relief was instant.

The kiss didn't linger, nor did she feel dominated by his hulking frame, but it was enough to confirm that things were still _okay_. Hey may have waited for her to make the first move, but he was prepared for it.

"You came," he sighed against her skin before pressing his nose to her temple.

"Barely," she replied, leaning into his touch.

"I was too scared to come to your room." He pulled back and met her eye. "I'm glad you were brave enough. Although, I can't say I'm surprised."

Scarlet couldn't help but smile. "You rolled out quite the welcome wagon."

Wolf looked down at his bare feet, smile pulling at his lips. "Was it too much?"

She lifted herself on her toes to press another kiss to his lips. His arm tightened around her waist and he bent over her slightly as he kissed her back. His eagerness made her heart leap in her chest. Normally, her quiet, restrained companion was so focused on control, he hardly ever let go. To have him in her arms now, completely at her will, excited her more than she could contain.

He pulled away first, taking a deep, calming breath through his nose. "Scarlet," he breathed, drawing his nose down her cheek bone. "Each time we're apart I forget."

"Forget what?"

He smile. "How you affect me. It's an overwhelming feeling."

She tried to pull away, afraid she was pushing him too far, but he held her steady. "It's not a bad feeling." Wolf brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. "I'm sorry, it's just that we haven't had time alone after…" His voice faded into the dark, pained and quiet.

"I know."

At the turn in the conversation, Wolf released Scarlet from his embrace. He took her hands in his. "I don't want you to think that I don't want this."

The thought had crossed her mind. After what had done to her, after what she saw in his eyes. Even if he'd never really been truly gone from her, the threat had been real. It had of course crossed her mind that their relationship would never be able to progress normally. Could they ever be a real couple? She hadn't yet considered what that meant.

At her silence, Wolf bravely continued. "I do want this." He lifted her hand and splayed it across his chest, over his heart. The thin fabric of his shirt was soft against the pads of her fingers and his skin almost hot to the touch.

She swallowed before asking, "Want _what_ , exactly, Wolf?"

He was silent for the first time in the conversation, eyes wide as thoughts flashed before them. He probably hadn't thought far enough to put it into words. His lips pursed to one side of his face and he took both hands in his. Gently, he lead her towards the bunk and motioned for her to sit. As she sunk down on the mattress, he knelt down before her. The behavior was unsurprisingly lupine. The lesser wolf below his alpha, which apparently she was now. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.

"I don't know how this works, Scarlet. It was never an option for us." He swallowed bitterly, thinking about his past. "I never thought I would be able to feel this way, let alone be someone to _anyone_. It's not something I take lightly."

She smiled at him and traced her fingers down his face. "I know."

The corner of his mouth twitched as he tried to hide a smile. "I may not have experienced it before, but I understand the concept, and I want that for us. I want...companionship."

Her heart was racing. _Companionship_. With him. With Wolf. A man she'd known for a week. What scared her most was that she could hardly imagine a life without him now.

"And…" he continued.

Scarlet's eyebrows rose. She wondered if he'd ever been this 'talkative' since she's known him.

"More than that."

She gulped. "More?"

He raised his eyebrows deploring, begging her to make the connection. There was a tinge of red, high on his cheeks.

"Oh," was all she could think to say. The brightness in his eyes was distracting her from her own embarrassment. More. Physical intimacy. Not a new concept, to be sure, but she had never spoken out loud about it. Let alone to a... _man_.

"You are beautiful," he said, and suddenly he smiled. The grin was wide enough that she could see the pointed ends of his canines. "I haven't actually told you that since I've known you."

She laughed, bashfully and shook her head. Her hair dropped around her face as she looked down at her knees. The curtain of auburn curls gave her a brief moment of solitude.

He placed the palms of his hands on her bent knees, then slid them up her thighs. The movement wasn't intended to be overly-sensual, but she felt every nerve in her body roar in flames. "I do...desire you, Scarlet."

Her head snapped up. _Desire_. The words were archaic, and predatory, depending on the context, but the flames she felt on her skin intensified even more. She was terrified - and excited. Of course she thought about him that way too. In a way, she'd objectified him since the moment they met. He was incredibly handsome and exotic. His skin was like caramel and just as warm. His hair was soft and almost always a wreck. It had distracted her since she'd first seen him up close. He was tall and strong, and watching him move had never been unpleasant. Not to mention all of the things he'd done for _her._ Fight for her, protect her, rescue her. She realized now how completely gone she was.

 _One week_. She told herself. _Seven days._

"You haven't said anything," Wolf spoke, voice soft. He lifted her chin, gently. "Have I been too forward?"

She shook her head, "No. That's not it at all."

"What is it?"

She thought for a second before speaking. "It's weird isn't it, how still things are now?"

His eyebrow quirked. He wasn't following.

"A few days ago we were running through the woods to catch a train to Paris. We were brawling people. I was imprisoned!"

Wolf's face contorted in pain. "Scarlet-"

She touched his face. "I'm not trying to bring this up again. What I mean is...we're sitting here now, safe, in a _spaceship_ , spinning through space. You and I have time, we have space. We can just _be_. It feels strange."

His head was cocked, studying her. "I agree. It's strange to be removed from everything else back on Earth. On Luna even."

Scarlet reached for his hands and squeezed them. "I feel like we're pressed for time, and yet we have so much of it. I don't know what to do right now between you and I. I don't know what we can promise ourselves for the future. I'm...afraid, I guess."

He squeezed back. "I understand."

She looked behind her, at the bunk. "Maybe, if we just lay here tonight. Spend time together. We can figure out the rest as we go."

Wolf waited a beat and she leaned close so their noses were almost touching. "I want all the same things, Wolf. I think I always have."

His smile was small, but his eyes shone bright as he released her hands and stood from the floor. Scarlet lifted her legs onto the mattress and slid towards the wall so he had room. He lay down beside her and tugged at her waist so they were closer. Their kneecaps bumped together awkwardly.

"I can see why this sounded like a good idea," Wolf said, eyes practically shining through the darkness of the room.

The closeness of his body was overwhelming and the hesitancy that had pulled her away moments ago disappeared completely. She lifted a hand and slid it around his neck so her fingers were twisted in the soft tufts of his hair. He didn't restrain her when she wriggled even closer so she could press her lips to his. His short breaths beat against her cheek as she kissed him.

"Scarlet," he groaned when she pulled away. "This is not just laying together."

"I know." Restraint had never been her strongest personality trait. She pressed her lips to his cheek and his jaw. "But you're just…"

He hummed a small laugh, and she thought it was possibly the most wonderful thing she had ever heard.

"I desire you too," she said, in hopes that he would understand why she was suddenly overcome by lust.

Wolf pulled back enough to meet her eyes. "Scarlet," he said, almost scolding her. "Not here, not tonight."

She shook her head and moved closer again. "No, I know. But we can be close in other ways. What's that saying?" She had moved to kissing his neck, and suddenly all tension had erased from his body.

"Saying?" his voice was thin and breathy. Distracted.

"It's not about the destination, it's the journey."

He laughed again, this time loudly and with his full body. "I think it's the other way around."

Scarlet snorted in laughter against his skin. "Oh. We'll that's how I look at it."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

She lifted herself on her elbow so she was above him. He had both hands on her back. They moved up and down, caressing her gently. She broke out in gooseflesh. He smiled up at her.

What _was_ she saying? That making out was as good as making love? She was pretty sure that wasn't true. "I'm saying that we're still getting to know each other, and that means more things than just talking."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Look, being close to you, in any way is...more than I ever imagined. I'm not in any rush to jump into things and I'm not in any rush to end them, either." She grimaced. "Stars, what am I even trying to say?"

"Let me try," he said, rolling them over so she was beneath him. She gasped.

Wolf leaned down and pressed his lips to the hollow behind her ear. A wave rippled down her spine and she forced herself to take a deep breath. "I meant what I said earlier, you know." His voice was a rumble against the shell of her ear. For a moment, she thought she had never been strung so tightly in her life.

Earlier, earlier...Scarlet could hardly remember ten minutes ago.

"About loving you."

She froze.

"I do," he said, voice sure and soft. "I love you, Scarlet." He kissed her cheek, then the corner of her lips. Her resolve was fading… "Some day I want to make love to you."

At that moment, she was sure her body would melt and disappear into the mattress.

"But not here, not now. Not until after all of this is over and I don't have to worry about losing you. After...when we're safe."

She realized there were tears in her eyes. Enough to run down her temples and into her hair. Emotion swelled in her chest and she could hardly breathe. "Wolf, I…"

He kissed her. "Don't say anything now," he hummed over her lips.

She pressed her lips together to illustrate that she wouldn't.

When he kissed her again, she felt it all the way down to her toes. She kissed him back with everything she could to show him how she felt. When he deepened the kiss, she didn't pull away.

When a hand slid under her tank top, to rest against the side of her rib cage, she didn't push him away.

She couldn't.

She wouldn't.

Around them, the air vents let out a slow gust of air. A sigh.

Hours later, Scarlet lay with her back pressed to Wolf's bare chest. The small hairs down the center of his chest tickled her skin where her tank top swooped below her shoulder blades. She had been asleep earlier, but she wasn't now. The excitement from the past few hours had woken her up, as the Winter Festival used to when she was small. She adjusted her head on her pillow so she could see the broad curve of Wolf's shoulder in the corner of her eye.

Warm brown was marked with streaks of shiny, pink skin. Scars. They littered his entire body. Well, as much as she's seen, anyway. The thought made her stomach flip and her skin burn. She closed her eyes and pictured the tip of her finger as it drew a line from scar to scar across his chest. Wolf's eyes had fluttered closed, mouth parted as he tried to remain still beneath her. Her hoodie still lay, forgotten on the floor, but that was the only article of clothing she'd removed. Perhaps she had lost her bravery when she'd yanked Wolf's shirt over his head.

The surprised and immensely pleased look on his face was worth the embarrassment.

She bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to hide a smile.

The skin around her neck burned slightly from the rough stubble on his chin, but she welcomed the small bite of pain. The more she had gotten to know Wolf over the course of the past few days, the more she knew that he functioned heavily on instincts. If it was true that he had never been with a woman before, than his instincts were very...on point.

It was the small things, really. The way he managed to slip at least one finger under the hem of her shirt, no matter what his lips may have been doing. The feather-light pressure of his mouth as the traced the ridge of her clavicle from one shoulder to the other. The slow, languid speed of his kisses.

Scarlet realized she was lonely again, even as his skin was pressed to her own.

As if on cue, he stirred and nuzzled his face deeper into the base of her skull.

She felt a pleased hum against her skin. "You're flushed," Wolf murmured into the back of her neck.

She shivered pleasantly at the sound of his voice.

"Thinking about...earlier."

He tugged on her hip with one of his hands, urging her to roll over to face him. She lamented the thought of moving positions until she saw the look on his face.

Calm.

Utter and complete calm.

It was the most serene she'd ever seen him. She realized now that he had remained completely still for, what seemed like, hours. They studied the details of each other's faces for a moment. Eventually wolf moved his hand so he could trace her lips with the tips of his fingers.

"I love you too," she blurted out against his skin.

His hand froze.

Scarlet felt her cheeks turn pink and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was...sudden. I just-"

Wolf's hand slid around the back of her neck so he could pull her face towards hers. "Please don't apologize for that," he pleaded, before kissing her.

The kiss was slow, as all of his were. This behaviour was no different than the way he greeted any of the new things she'd shown him. As though he was savoring every moment. His fingers pressed into her skull with a new sense of urgency that she hadn't felt before.

"I didn't think you would…" he said, when he pulled back. "I didn't expect you to."

"I couldn't stop thinking about it. About everything."

His gem-like eyes roamed her face, bouncing from feature to feature.

"If we're really going to try and overthrow Levana, then I have absolutely no idea what the future holds. So much of me wants to steal you away and take you back to the farm so we could live normal lives."

Wolf smiled at the idea, eyes crinkling.

"But we can't do that to Cinder, and not to Grandmere either."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know."

"Things will change tomorrow, maybe forever. I need you to know how I feel _now_. If we get separated, I don't want to lose the chance to tell you, and I don't want that to be the first time you hear it."

"Scarlet…" Fear clouded his features.

She pressed a hand to his chest. "You know it's true."

His eyes softened. "I do."

"I want to know that I love you for everything you did to help me. I chose to believe that was you, the real you."

"All of it was real. Always." His voice was firm and true.

Scarlet felt her throat tighten and her eyes blurred with tears. She had been able to deal with the emotion of her grandmother over the past few days, but only now was she really accepting the weight of her feelings for Wolf.

"Don't cry," he said, voice strained. "That just makes it sound like you're saying goodbye."

"You're right." She let him drag the tears from her face with his thumb. "We don't even know if all of this is going to work."

"Let's just sleep now," Wolf said wisely, fanning her hair out behind her head as he removed his hand. He lowered his arm and let it hang loose over her hip. "We can't predict what's going to happen."

Scarlet closed her eyes as Wolf traced patterns at the base of her spine. "Think of the farm," he whispered into her hair. "We'll be there again soon."

She smiled to herself and reached for his other hand. She clutched it to her chest and felt herself drift off to sleep, curled around her Wolf.


	2. Thorne

Inderludes

Chapter 2: Thorne

 **Author's Note:** I'd be lying if I didn't totally enjoy writing in his head...

Disclaimer: All characters and previous events belong to Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles

* * *

Thorne tapped through the audio news feeds on the console with a pointed finger. _Tap._ Bad. _Tap._ Deaths. _Tap._ Lunars. _Tap_. Gossip. _Tap._ Deaths.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. It was bad. All bad. Even with the volume low, he could hear the desperation in the reporters' voices. The bleakness of Earth's situation was absolutely terrifying. What would be left when they finally got to Luna? Would Earth even be worth saving at that point? What if the global military was simply going to blast Luna to smithereens _while_ they were on the surface? What if he never _really_ got to fall in love?

His head snapped up. An interesting change in thought.

He let his eyes linger on the knobs, buttons and lights on the control panel. He could see colors and blurry shapes now. Unsurprisingly, the inside of his ship was a beautiful sight, even with limited visibility. For the most part, he had been distracted with _looking_ at things for the past few days. The thrill of seeing color again was beyond anything he could have hoped for. The child that lingered not-very-far under the surface of his manly exterior, was giddy with joy. The only dampening factor of the whole situation was that he couldn't see faces. This was especially difficult with a rather full crew. Having conversations was an awkward affair that involved a lot of questions like, "Did that make you happy or annoyed with me?" Well, those were the questions _he_ was asking, anyway.

With a groan, he leaned back in his chair and let his head fall against the headrest. The extra focusing of his eyes was starting to give him a headache already. The throbbing pressure seemed to build behind his pupils and then bore directly into his brain. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Cress' hands on his face as she brushed hair away from his forehead. The memory made him smile and he tried to let it linger behind his closed eyes for a moment longer.

If he had died that night, he thought his biggest regret would be that he could not remember details of Cress' face. He'd seen her only a handful of times before losing his sight. The first was on a tiny screen, surrounded by hair. The second time was when she was tied up in the washroom, tearstained and frantic. After that, they'd been plummeting towards the surface of earth. He couldn't remember anything clearly, let alone the color of the freckles on her nose.

There had been freckles, right?

With a start, he snapped back upright. "What is _wrong_ with me?" he shouted, tapping the side of his head with an open palm. He needed to talk to someone. "Darla, darling?"

"Yes Captain."

He beamed at the sound.

"Where's Cinder?"

It was silent for a moment as Darla parsed the security footage. "Corridor surveillance shows that Linh-Cinder entered the medical bay at around 18:00 hours, sir."

"And she's still in there?"

Another moment. "I have not seen Linh-Cinder on any other feed since 18:00 hours, sir."

Thorne tapped the side of his chin with his fingers. "And the time now, doll?"

"I am unfamiliar with your, command."

"What's the time?" He clarified, with a shake of his head. Iko would have been _very_ pleased with that term of endearment.

"20:00 hours, sir."

"Thanks Darla."

He spun his chair and headed in the direction of the galley by memory. He hoped no one was leaving their trash and rubbish on the ground for him to trip on. Messy cretons.

He reached the small kitchen without any trouble and walked, purposefully towards a corner cabinet. With a suspicious (and useless) glance over both shoulders, he tapped against the false back of the shelf until he could wriggle the thin piece of metal out of place.

"Why hello there!" he said happily, as he pulled a half-empty bottle of Kentucky bourbon out of the cubby. He hadn't seen this bottle in...well...years. Back when he was much younger and very stupid, this bottle was his constant companion. He slipped the false back in its place, grabbed a pair of glasses from the sink and walked back into the hallway.

Medical bay. Medical bay. What were they doing when Cinder found that room again?

He heard a voice down the hall. An unknown melody met his ears and he felt his heart seize in his chest. Cress. Singing.

 _Distracting_.

He cursed and walked the opposite direction.

He was able to feel his way to the door to the medical bay once he reached the main chamber of the _Rampion_. In his current state, the metal door blurred easily with the pale walls of the ship. Perhaps it blended in all the time. He decided that was why he blocked the door with shipping containers to begin with. He fiddled with the bottle and glasses in his hands until he could open the door.

The room inside was quiet. Everything was white, cool and clinical. He could see more blinking in the background as various medical monitors and equipment slept soundly in their unused state. "Cinder?" he asked, as quietly as he could manage. He couldn't see a cyborg-shaped blur anywhere in the room.

He heard the loud, rustling of paper, and saw Cinder sit upright from laying on the exam table.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, unsticking the paper from the back of her arms.

"Aww! I missed you too!" he said, jokingly, before holding out his offerings. "I came, crew member, because I would like to drink and share my feelings."

He could sense Cinder's distaste without seeing the scowl on her face. "Feelings? Not interested."

"Oh come on!" he whined, letting his arms fall to his sides. "I thought we were best friends!"

Her blur on the table was staring at him, and silent. It was very un-Cinder-y. "Do you really think that?"

"That I need to talk about my feelings? Absolutely."

She shook her head, hair twisting around her face. "Not that. You always have plenty to say about your feelings. I meant about us being friends."

Thorne shot her a smirk. "I believe the phrase was _best_ friend, and yes, I do really think that."

Cinder took a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it go. She moved over on the exam table so that there was room for two people to sit. With her metal hand, she tapped the space next to her. "If you _must_ share, then I'm here for you."

He let out a victorious laugh and handed her the two glasses he'd brought. With a satisfying _thunk_ , he uncorked the bottle. "You'd better pour this. I'd spill and ruin everything."

"None for me, thanks," she said, voice full of judgement as she took the bottle from him.

"Oh come on," he groaned. "Don't judge me silently. Live a little! You don't want Princess Kai to think that you're a square, do you? Oh sorry, I mixed that up. Queen Kai?"

Cinder laughed quietly. "Cut it out."

"You don't have to have much. Just a little taste. Try it for me!"

With a sigh, she relented. "Fine. How much should I pour?"

Thorne held up his thumb and forefinger and squinted at them. "About this much." He widened them a tick. "No, maybe this much."

He heard the tinkling sound of the bottle hitting the edge of a glass, followed by the sweet, sweet sound of alcohol falling into it. He hopped on to the table beside Cinder and held out his hand. She placed the glass between his fingers and he brought it to his nose.

Thorne inhaled deeply. "Ah. Nothing like it."

Beside him, Cinder followed suit. "Bourbon. What's that made from?"

"All kinds of stuff. Corn, mostly. Grain. But it's 'bourbon' because it's aged in Kentucky Oak barrels. It's an old, second-age technique. Bottles of this stuff are very, _very_ expensive."

"How did you get one then?"

He held up a finger, knowingly. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"And we're drinking it because you feel like complaining?" Cinder asked, sniffing the liquid once more and grimacing.

" _Sharing_ , Cinder. And yes. Even the best spirits are meant to be shared." Blindly, and with a winning smile, he held out his glass towards Cinder's. She clinked her glass to his, and Thorne tipped his head back to take a big swallow.

The bourbon warmed his throat and stomach like a campfire in the woods. He shivered with pleasure and smiled. "Aces."

He watched Cinder take a tentative sip, cringe and look questioningly at the amount left in her glass. "You drink this for fun?" she coughed, as she watched Thorne down the rest.

"Oh yes." He held his hand out with the empty glass. "Refill, please."

She heaved a huge sigh before reaching over to grab the bottle. Clink. Pour.

When she handed him back his glass, he cradled it reverently in his hands. "What are you doing in here anyway? Hiding from Kai?"

"Of course not," she snapped. "From Iko, mostly."

"Huh," he mused, taking a sip. "I miss her, actually."

Cinder followed suit. "Well, then I'll send her to your bunk next time. She's set on being sisters or best friends or whatever, but I can't get any time alone to think through all of this. I can't stop running every outcome through my head. It always ends badly, Thorne. I don't know what to do. I can't just bring us all to Luna without thinking through _everything_."

Thorne watched her as closely as he could with his poor eyesight. She was slumped over her knees with her bourbon clasped between her legs. Her hair was down, for once and hung limp around her shoulders. There were various dark splotches on her arms and legs. Bruises or dirt, most likely. Cinder had never been a real ray of sunshine, but right now she looked defeated.

"No one expects you to think of everything, Cinder." He kept his voice soft so she would know he was sincere. He _was_ sincere, but it was hard to tell with him normally. Lately only Cress could tell the difference. "You know military leaders have meetings for this kind of thing. Collaborative ones. We'll help you if you need it."

"I know." She eyed the bourbon again and took a sip.

"And Kai is...helping?"

She shrugged. "Kai has been able to help me with all of the international statistics and regulations. He knows a lot of different stuff about Luna that's helpful."

Torne eyed her slyly. "That's great, but that's not what I meant."

With a snort, she drained her glass. "There's no time for any of that, Thorne."

"There's always time for love, friend."

She raised an eyebrow and poured herself another splash of bourbon. "Oh, like you being in love with Cress and making time for that?"

He froze. His throat closed up and he felt his heart skip a few beats. Had he been caught? How would _Cinder_ have detected this from him? He had to cough to get his voice working again.

"Oh ho!" Thorne straightened his back, trying his best to stay cool. "Looks like alcohol makes you snarky. Oh, wait. You're always snarky."

"She has the crush the size of Jupiter, you know. Bigger, even."

He nearly choked on his own saliva. "What! She does not!"

Cinder gaped back at him. "Um, yes she does. It's written all over her face."

"Ugh. Perfect. Her face. So easy for me to read!" Anger and hurt rumbled in his chest, interrupting the oh-so-pleasant burny feeling in this stomach. Had she _lied_? He'd asked her flat out if she was in love with him. She'd said-

Well. She'd said nothing.

He let out a tortured sigh and dropped his chin to his chest.

Cinder's voice was quiet and serious. "I don't know if you're leading her on, or too scared to do anything about it, but-"

"Terrified." Saying it felt like a relief. Their eyes locked and held, the intensity of the truth traveling between them.

"So you really do feel something, then? Something real?"

Thorne sighed and ran a free hand through his hair. "I think so. I want to. I mean, I don't _know_. She makes me forget everything I thought about women. She's not impressed by my ego or my obvious personality strengths."

Cinder laughed.

"She's so nice, and so sweet. No one has ever been that nice to me...made me feel…" He let his voice peter out, knowing without a doubt that he'd just sealed his own fate. "How did you know?"

He saw her shrug. "Just the way you are with her. It's different than you are with anyone else. You're very protective of her."

"Well yeah, have you seen her? She's _tiny_!"

"Thorne…"

He sighed. "I know. I _know_. I just...feel so responsible for her. Someone that pure, that inherently kind? She needs to be protected from all the crap that goes on in the world."

"Or maybe you just like when people are nice to you?" Cinder laughed as she said it. It was a joke.

"You really do get snarky, don't you?"

He heard her take a sip as she said, "Apparently."

They sat in silence for a few moments and Thorne couldn't help but think of his tiny, sweet Cress, singing down the hall. If he convinced himself, sometimes he thought he could still feel the little pinch of her hand on the back of his elbow and she led him through the desert. She'd given him so much without question and she didn't even know him. In a way he was thankful that he'd hit his head in the satellite.

"So, that's it?" he asked, voice echoing off the stark, empty room. "I'm just _in love_ with her now? Like that?"

Cinder shook her head. "I don't think that's how it works," was the reply. She sounded sad. "You don't have to be in love to have feelings for someone. Not yet, anyway. I think you _aim_ for love, you know?"

Thorne groaned and downed the rest of his glass. "I should ask Iko about this."

Cinder let out an abrupt laugh. "You should definitely _not_ ask Iko about love. Asing Iko about love would probably be like asking Wolf about...I don't know-"

"Social skills?"

Another laugh, then she covered her mouth with her metal hand. "No. It would be like asking me about being a cyborg. I don't know anything about being a cyborg and I _am_ one." Cinder took a long drink. "Iko has read and processed every drama and every magazine ever written about love. I don't personally think that means she knows anything more than the rest of us do."

"So what do I do?"

"What do any of us do?" She gestured towards the doorway. "In case you haven't noticed, almost all of us are pretty consumed with someone around here. I don't think anyone is doing a real bang up job."

Thorne held out his hand for another refill. "I thought Wolf and Scarlet had a good thing going."

He felt Cinder's metal hand touch his arm. "Don't speak in the past tense. Please. I can't bear the thought that she's dead."

He nodded. "You're right."

She grabbed his wrist and pulled his glass towards her. "Maybe what you feel for Cress already is love," Cinder mused. "I mean who gets to say what love actually _is_?"

Thorne chewed that in his head while Cinder fiddled with the bourbon bottle. Was it possible that he was already in love? He had to admit that kiss was pretty...amazing. And not just because it was him doing the kissing. He _felt_ something. If he was being completely honest, he wanted to do it again, and for much longer. Preferably alone…

"I do care about her," he said, finally when she released him. The words didn't sound strong enough as they fell off his tongue. "I certainly don't want anyone _else_ falling in love with her."

Cinder looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "This _is_ what you wanted to talk about, right? I don't think I can't take more feelings from you."

He elbowed her hard in the ribs and smiled at her laugh. "No, this is it. I didn't know who else to talk to."

She sighed happily and strung her arm through his. He felt her head press to his shoulder. "Well. I'm glad you did. And being drunk is fun."

Thorne barked a laugh and mussed her hair with his free hand. "You're not drunk. Yet."

"I'm pretty sure I am." Her voice lingered on the "r" sounds and she snorted a laugh. "I'm glad we met, Thorne. I should have said this before. You know, before we started drinking."

He squeezed her arm against his. "Alcohol has a funny way of coaxing out truths when we least expect it." Thorne lowered his head and pressed his cheek to Cinder's hair. "I appreciate that though, Cinder."

They settled comfortably against each other in the silence of the room. Stale, cool air filtered through the vents around them, but their bellies were warm from bourbon and conversation. For a moment, Thorne thought back on the first time he'd met Cinder, back when he said she had, "Nearly glamoured him to death." His lip twitched in a smile. Who would have thought shuffling through miles of sewer could bring friends together?

"What are you going to do about Cress?" she asked after a long moment of silence. Thorne realized he had no idea how much time had passed. Maybe he was drunk after all…

"What are you going to do about Kai?" he countered, smugly.

"Oh I'm pretty sure we're miles ahead of the pair of you," she spat. " _Miles._ "

He grimaced. "Gross."

"I'm just saying. Kai and I know where we stand. I don't know what happens after we probably have to take him back to Earth, but I know that our feelings are the same. It's...comforting. You should tell Cress."

"I will. Well, I'll _try_." There was a giddiness in the pit of his stomach and he was half inclined to run to Cress' room right now. Although, he also felt silent relief in knowing he had the choice to hide his feelings forever if he wanted. Feelings were hard.

"I'm sorry that all of this is happening when we may or may not be going into battle. I don't want to make this painful for anyone."

He squeezed her arm again, harder this time. "Cinder, if we were still on earth, we could all have been torn apart by Lunar soldiers. Or worse. You brought us together and you're keeping us safe. I can't imagine anyone doing more for us. For _me_."

She sniffed and fidgeted against his side. "Ugh," she groaned. "Being a cyborg sucks."

"Yeah, well, being a human sucks too. You don't really want tear glands, do you?"

"More now than ever, apparently," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

As his buzz began to wear off at the edges, Thorne began to feel uncomfortable with this uncharacteristic surge of emotions. He needed to retreat to his bunk to figure out what to do about Cress. "Thanks for the chat, friend." He pressed a kiss to the top of Cinder's head and slid off the exam table. "I'll just put this away, shall I?"

Cinder eyed the bottle for a second then smiled. "That's probably best."

"Do you want me to send the queen in here or…"

"Shut up." After a moment, "Yeah, actually. If you see him."

"Gross."

"Thorne!"

"I'm _joking_."

"Thorne."

"What?"

She smiled at him; full and genuine and happy. "Thanks."

"Back at you. I'll be sure to come to you if I have any additional feelings."

She let out a low laugh as she lowered herself back onto the exam table. "Please don't."

Thorne chuckled and closed the door behind him as he left the room. He wandered slowly in the direction of the galley, swinging the much-lighter bottle between his fingers. He could hear the liquid slosh inside.

As before, the galley was deserted. At least, as far as he could tell. He hid the bottle back in its place and sunk down onto the nearest bench. His elbows collided with the well-worn surface of the table. He lowered his chin into his hands and stared straight ahead at the open door.

Could he fall in love in a week? Was that even possible? Surely he had thought, once or twice, that he had been in love with a woman in less than an hour. Everyone knew that wasn't _real_ love though. This was. It had to be. Cress wasn't just some girl, she was...Cress. She was the moon.

No. Too sappy.

She was something though. Something to him. Maybe she was just... _his._

His Cress.

After all, the Doctor had told him to keep her safe. He hadn't taken that lightly. Although, she was far less inclined towards danger than Cinder was.

Thorne started pondering the logistics of the situation. Say he told Cress how he felt, and say _hypothetically_ she had the same feelings. Then what? Were they to walk around with gooey eyes and smiles like Scarlet and Wolf every time they were together? Was he to hold her hand and escort her through doorways. Was he to call her his…

 _Girlfriend_?

He felt his lips curl at the thought. It was all so pedestrian and she was far from normal. He didn't want her to feel normal, he wanted her to feel special.

With a groan, he covered his face with his hands. He attempted a different strategy. What did _he_ want?

He wanted to be truthful. No more pretending that she didn't affect him in every way. He could feel her when she was in a room, his skin lit up every time she touched him, and his steps were jauntier when she was beside him. He wanted her to know this, and see it.

He definitely wanted to kiss her again, if only once more. That night his head had been clouded by adrenaline and fear. Kissing Cress with a clear mind? He hooked a finger under his collar and tugged.

He wanted to protect her. It was probable that this would be an impossible task on Luna, but he had to try.

And in regards to the future?

A slow smile crept over his face as he lifted his head from his hands. That was an easier question to answer. He wanted to take her places. Anywhere, everywhere. The world and everywhere outside of it. He wanted a co-pilot.

He slammed his hand on the table soundly. "Yes!" he exclaimed, standing to his feet. The bench screeched loudly on the floor as he stood. He could see a future now, spread out before him like a netscreen. The _Rampion_ speeding through the skies, and the pair of them hauled up happily inside. After all, his quarters was the only one with a big bed _and_ a private washroom. It would be a five star experience for her! He wagged his eyebrows. It would be _very_ comfortable.

With a new sense of conviction and purpose, Thorne left the galley and headed back towards the cockpit. He was the captain after all, wasn't he?

 _Tomorrow_ , he decided. Tomorrow he would tell Cress everything.

Well, most things.

Maybe in two days. On a weekend.

 _Soon_. He would tell her soon.


	3. Cress

Interludes

Chapter 3: Cress

 **Author's Note:** Full disclosure, I love this chapter.

Disclaimer: All characters and previous events belong to Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles

* * *

Cress was busy twirling around in front of a mirror in her quarters when she heard a knock on her door panel. She yelped and clasped her hands over her mouth at the sound. The wide skirt fluttered around her legs.

"Cress?"

Thorne was outside. Outside her room, while she was busy twirling around in her ballgown for what was probably the hundredth time.

"Um…" was all she could say back.

Her heart flip flopped in her chest at the sound of his voice. It always did. It had been over two weeks since they had met. They had spent several days in the desert, practically been massacred by an army, infiltrated the palace and kidnapped the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth. She and Thorne were perhaps the closest pair on the ship, platonically speaking, and yet his presence _still_ made her body vibrate like a struck piano string.

"Are you indecent?" came his hopeful response.

She rolled her eyes and decided to push aside her embarrassment in favor of seeing him on the other side of her door. After all, he could still only partly see as it was. The drops were finished, but the healing was just starting to progress. Yesterday he had told her he could see colors again.

Cress took a deep breath and approached the door. If anyone understood how to be vain, it was Carswell Thorne. Teasing her would only be teasing himself.

She leaned against the doorframe and let the door slide open between them. He stood with his eyes covered by his hands and she laughed out loud. Two fingers split apart and she saw one of his bright, blue eyes meet hers.

"Oh," he sighed, sounding disappointed, "You don't appear to be indecent. You're…" Thorne lowered his hands and placed them on either side of his hips. "What _are_ you wearing?" His eyes squinted unevenly as he tried to make his vision more clear.

"It's my ballgown from the palace. I…" she shook her head at her own silliness. "I wear it sometimes and pretend."

"Hmm," he strode in her room without an invitation and pressed the close command as he slid past. He plopped down on her bed and leaned back on his hands. "Explain."

Cress was still standing by the door, swinging the skirt around her knees absently. The bright blue stood out as a sharp contrast to the worn metal of the room. "You know how pretend works. You pretend you're good with women every day."

Thorn snorted loudly and rolled his eyes. "You free a girl from a satellite and she's a comedian in fourteen days flat. Amazing." He leaned forward. "I want to know why you're pretending in this instance, specifically."

"Oh…" she sighed and looked down at her bare toes poking out from the bottom of her skirts. She grabbed fistfulls of the flowy, blue fabric and squeezed so she had something to hold on to.

 _So she could pretend he was holding her tightly on the dance floor. So she could imagine what his hands felt like on her bare skin. So she could cope with their friendship without losing her mind every time they were together._

Suddenly she decided that changing the subject was the best course of action. "Did you come to my room just to embarrass me?" she demanded.

He shook a finger in front of his face. "No changing the subject. I asked first. You tell, then I'll tell."

"Don't I get any privacy?"

Thorne dropped his hands dramatically on his knees as he stood up. "You opened the door, darling," he said, reaching to take her hands so he could pull her closer to her bunk. He sat down again and crossed his arms over his chest. "I just want to know why you're dressed up so pretty and don't want anyone to see you."

Her face lit on fire and she hurriedly pressed her hands flat to her cheeks. _So pretty._ He thought she was pretty? To be fair, the dress was exquisite. Even with the rips and stains leftover from the escape from the palace, although she imagined he couldn't see any of that now.

"Who said I looked pretty?" she asked, fully aware she was fishing for compliments from the man she was in love with. The man who would probably never love her back.

He snorted. "I don't need eyesight to know you look pretty."

Cress indulged herself in a small, dreamy sigh before finally answering his question.

"It's too special of a dress to never wear," she started, as she pressed her hands down the front of her bodice to smooth out invisible wrinkles. "Who knows if I'll get a chance to wear it ever again after we get to Luna. I just…" Cress tugged at her hair. "Sometimes I sit in here and pretend I actually attended a ball, as a guest. Not as a criminal, or whatever we are."

"Revolutionaries." Thorne corrected her, taking on Cinder's new, preferred term for what they were doing. He cocked his head to the side. "So you're saying that Wolf wasn't a good dance partner?"

Cress giggled. The poor, heartbroken soldier had barely met eyes with her the entire night, let alone pay her any attention. "No. Maybe if I was Scarlet, he would have been more inspired. We didn't really say much to each other. Well, _he_ didn't have much to say to _me._ "

He tapped the tip of his finger to his lips. "Hmmm."

Her stomach dropped with nerves and embarrassment. "It's stupid, I know. When I was alone I would daydream all the time. I would dance around and pretend you- er, _someone_ was dancing with me. I had music and lights and...well, it was all sort of juvenile, really. I didn't know any better." Cress' voice faded to silence, and she let her gaze fall down to Thorne's shiny boots. They looked newly polished.

"Would you sing?" he asked. He seemed to have passed over her obvious confession.

"Now?"

"No, when you were pretending." Thorne got to his feet and took a step towards her.

She twisted her fingers together. "Sometimes." With a grimace, she shook her head and corrected herself, "No, most times."

Another step. The look on his face was serious and focused, a habit left over from his blindness. It was as though he stopped considering how he looked on the outside when he was unable to see, himself. She liked to think she was seeing the true Thorne when he did this. _Her_ Thorne. Even now, her breath hitched in her throat at the look on his face. His icy eyes were narrowed as he did his best to meet her eyes.

He reached a hand out and she balked, until he slid it snug around her waist. He took her hand with the other and lifted it shoulder height. "It sounds to me like you need a proper dance lesson."

His proximity, after a few days of friendly distance made the excitement bubble in her throat until she let out a giggle. "Here?"

"Where else?"

Cress looked around her tiny quarters and shrugged. "Somewhere with more room?"

"There's plenty here. Just don't step on my toes, clumsy. I don't want to lose concentration."

Before she could say another word, he was moving and she was pulled along for the ride. One step, two step, three step. She did her best to keep up, grateful for the swirling skirts around her legs to hide her uncoordinated stumbling. They floated behind her like wispy clouds in the wind. Thorne's hand was spread wide on her back, fingertips pressed to her bare back. His hand held hers tightly. For a moment, she closed her eyes and set the scene around them.

 _A handsome rogue who snuck into the ballroom had asked her for a dance. She was the more desireable girl at the ball, and he was a wanted man. Everyone watched them as they glided around the dancefloor effortlessly. Her dress fluttered behind her and the tails of his fine jacket did the same. When they looked at each other, it was instant chemistry._

When she opened her eyes again, Thorne was smiling down at her. The corners of his eyes crinkled. "You were doing it, weren't you?" He stopped, lifted his arm and spun her. She gasped at the unexpected motion and watched the room blur around her until she collided back against Thorne's chest.

She let her fluttering heart settle before she looked up. "Why are you here, Carswell?" she asked, instead of answering his question.

"Ooh. First name. You must mean business."

Cress noticed that they hadn't started dancing again, yet he still held her close. He had a day's worth of stubble on his face. It caught the light when he moved his head.

"I miss you sometimes," he said, matter-of-factly.

Her stomach flip-flopped. "You...do?" He missed _her_?

Suddenly he was hugging her and she felt him speak into her hair. "Yes. You spend a week with someone night and day, and you sort of expect them to always be around."

She pressed her mouth shut so she didn't ruin the moment by saying anything else. His shirt was clean and crisp against her cheek and she could hear his pulse in her ear. If she could, she would probably stay here forever.

Thorne pulled back eventually, holding her at arm's length. "I also came here because of something Cinder said."

Cress blinked back at him. Cinder? She wracked her brain to as she tried to remember if she'd said anything incriminating to her cyborg friend. Nothing came to mind. "What did she say?"

He waved a hand dismissively, as though her words weren't the point. "Something weird about the size of Jupiter."

Jupiter. Still nothing.

"The point is you lied to me!" he said. His voice sounded genuinely hurt.

Cress reeled back. "Lied? When did I lie to you!"

"The night you put the first drops in my eyes. When I asked you if you still were in love with me."

She froze. _Cinder_ knew? If that was true then even Wolf probably knew she was undeniably in love with Thorne. "Um…"

"And I supposed you lied about thinking I'm a hero too?" He didn't sound as noticeably hurt in regards to that omission.

Cress clenched her fists tightly. She could still remember the moment exactly - heart pounding, skirts clutched tightly to her knees, eyes wide, knowing he couldn't see her squirm. She'd been protecting him by keeping her mouth shut. Maybe even protecting herself. To be called a liar was an injustice. "I didn't lie," she said through her teeth.

"You said nothing!"

"Exactly. That's _not_ a lie."

Thorne crossed his arms indignantly.

"Would it have made a difference?" she asked, stepping forward. "It's not like you'd believe me anyway."

"And about being in love with me?"

She shrunk back again, caught in a corner. "It wouldn't have mattered." Her voice was small and nearly too soft to be picked up around the roar of the engines. She chanced a look up at Thorne, whose face had fallen. A line deepened between his eyebrows as he watched her.

"Of course it would have mattered," he said softly. He reached out for her again, hand waving enough to show her he was still a few days away from seeing fully. She held her hand out and he clasped it, tightly. "I may have lied too."

Her heart leapt into her throat, beating so loud she was sure it was detectable. She could _not_ get her hopes up again…

"I said something like 'I wouldn't know what love was if it was...' and I never finished."

Cress remembered the moment vividly, and yet she was unfamiliar with the expression. "What would you have said?"

She heard Thorne take a deep breath through his nose. He squeezed her hand tighter. "I wouldn't know what love is if it was staring me in the face."

 _Don't get your hopes up._ She screwed her eyes shut and refused to look at him.

"And, well...you _were_ staring me in the face, which would imply that I had no intention of loving you. Which would be untrue, on a few levels. And I didn't want to say that."

Cress was holding her breath.

Thorne took a step closer so he was practically standing against her. He pressed his hand to the side of her face, leaning close so he could see her better. She slowly opened her eyes to meet his. "Cress, how can you still love me? After everything you know?"

Her mouth was dry enough to remind her, all too vividly, of the desert. "You don't see yourself very clearly," she said.

He was silent for a moment, until he said, "Cress, I can't see _anything_ clearly." After a second, his face broke into a wide, open-mouthed grin.

She sighed.

"Get it, because I'm blind?"

"Yes."

He cackled to himself then reached for her hand once more.

"Carswell, I thought I was going to die. Every day I was convinced I would be killed in the desert, in the back of a van, at the palace. You helped me, you came after me, you _saved_ me. You were completely selfless, and you still can't see it."

"You saved yourself," he pleaded. "I was just...there."

"You kissed me."

He couldn't help but smile. "We talked about _this_ already."

"You didn't have to do that, but you did. You thought we would be killed. You cared enough to keep your promise. You cared enough about _me_!"

He had no response.

Her heart was racing. The confession she'd swallowed back that night was on the tip of her tongue and she wasn't sure if she was brave enough to share it. Pricks behind her eyes made her breath catch and she blinked away the threatening tears. Why should she hide her feelings after all he had done for her. Didn't she owe it to him? She looked up at him and felt her resolve crumble. He was everything she wanted.

"When we met, I was in love with you because I thought you lived your life as a hero." She tried to swallow her heart in her throat. In a whisper, she added, "Now I love you because you're _my_ hero."

His hands were on her face, wiping away the tears that had fallen. "Oh, Cress."

She was too determined to stop now. "I don't intend for you to love me back. I really don't. I'm young, naive and...silly, frankly. But if it's truth you want, then yes, I still love you. I love you more than ever, and I can't imagine that you could do anything to change my mind."

There was barely a beat after she finished speaking before he was kissing her.

It was brief, and not nearly as passionate as their kiss on the rooftop had been, but this kiss was _real_. There were no promises in place this time. Captain Carswell Thorne was kissing Cress because he wanted to. He kept his hands on her face when he pulled away.

"Aces, what am I doing?" he asked her, eyes wide. Before she could attempt an answer, he kissed her again, and again, each time longer than the last. His lips were soft and firm against her own, as though he was determined to communicate everything that way. She clutched helplessly at the front of his shirt, relying almost entirely on his grip on her face to keep her upright. Finally, after a particularly long and wonderful kiss, he pulled back enough to look her in the eye.

"Cress, I meant what I said before, that I've never been in love. I have no idea what it would feel like-"

"Even if it was staring you in the face?"

"Hush."

She giggled, but Thorne was serious. "I don't know what this means. I don't know what we are to each other now. All I know is that I need you around. I _want_ you around. You make me smile and I get this…" He gestured at his chest. " _Thing_ in my chest when do do something sweet that I don't deserve."

Cress could hardly hear him over the thundering in her ears. Was this really happening? His fingers moved over her face nervously, as though he was desperate to keep her still.

"What I'm saying is that when I try to imagine what love would feel like, I can't imagine it being any more meaningful than what I already feel for you…"

Cress knew she was crying again, but all she wanted was to blink away enough tears to see (and memorize) the way his face looked at that moment. He looked so vulnerable and sincere. His eyebrows crumpled and his adam's apple bobbed up and down with nervous swallows.

"I want to love you, Cress. I want to be that for you, but you'll need to help me."

She nodded rapidly. After a moment she let out a nervous laugh. "You are _such_ a liar," was all she could think to say, wrapping her fingers around his wrists.

"I prefer the word scoundrel." He winked and pulled her close for another kiss before wrapping her tightly in his arms. She hid her face in the crook of his neck. "Go easy on me, won't you? I don't know what I'm doing."

"Have you forgotten that I lived in a satellite for seven years?" she reminded him, voice muffled in his shirt. "I'm as clueless as they come."

His chuckle was a low melody in her ear. "I couldn't go into this revolution, or whatever we're doing, without telling you the truth."

She pushed back to look at his face. "I'm glad you did."

The gazed silently at each other for a moment, before he looked down at her gown. "When I can finally see again, promise me you'll put this back on?"

She pulled the skirt out with her arms. "Maybe I'll have a nicer one by then. One that's not ripped and ruined."

"I don't care. I want to see what I missed that night in the cockpit."

Cress realized he wasn't interested in seeing another version of herself. One with smooth hair, pinched cheeks and red lips. He wanted to see what she _really_ looked like, when there was nothing but love shining through her eyes back at him.

"If I'd been able to see you, there's no way I would have been able to lie."

She wondered if that was true. He was far better at masking his feelings than she was. If he had seen her face, he would have known for sure that she loved him. Perhaps that's how Cinder and everyone else knew the truth.

"Do you want me to let you get back to your-," Thorne gestured with his hand towards the mirror, "Pretend?"

Cress stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek and smiled when he leaned into her lips. "I'm pretty certain real life is better than imaginary at this particular moment."

He smiled in his patented, "devilishly handsome" way and wrapped an arm around her waist. She was pulled against him more roughly than she expected. "Good," he said, leaning close, "Because I don't want to leave yet." Then he kissed her, and he didn't let her go for a _long_ time.


	4. Cinder

Interludes

Chapter 4: Cinder

 **Author's Note:** More full disclosure, this one was not easy to write. Cinder is hard...

Disclaimer: All characters and previous events belong to Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles

* * *

Cinder did her best to emulate Thorne, when she propped her boots on the console in the cockpit. She tucked her folded hand under her chin and did her best to look confident as she stared out the window and into a vast field of stars.

As she got to know her "captain" friend more and more, she realized how completely he flew by the seat of his pants. He was so clueless in most situations, it was actually impressive.

She heaved a heavy sigh through her pursed lips, fluttering stray strands of hair away from her face. Of course, she would never be Thorne. Could never be. That's probably why she was doing all of this to begin with. She cared too much, both about the result of her actions and the cause they were fighting against.

Mankind?

Earth?

Androids?

Cinder rolled her eyes and clasped her fingers in her lap, forcing herself to be _herself_ for just a few minutes. The inside of her head was more dangerous than ever. It was a whirring tornado of ideas, fear, bravery, and in indisputable amount of computer-driven rationality. It was turning out to be quite the buzzkill.

Even now, her vision targeted stars and planets and flashed mileage and statistics over her eyes. Fortunately, for now, Luna wasn't visible from the cockpit. She didn't really want to consider how close or far they were from the ghostly moon.

A blinking red light in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and then she heard him before she saw him. Her sensors were alerting her to an increased heart rate before she felt two hands settle lightly on her shoulders. They squeezed gently, soothingly and she melted.

"Hey," Kai said, leaning close to her ear. She felt the scratch of stubble from his chin on her cheek and bit her lips to hold back a grin.

"Hi."

His hands lingered on her shoulder as he walked around her and sat in the opposite chair. "You doing okay in here?"

For being a kidnapped emperor, Kai had taken very quickly to the "revolutionary" life. It was easy to forget their different lives, and remember the boy in the hoodie who'd come looking for her in the market. She supposed that she was the reasoning behind his calm demeanor. If anyone else had kidnapped him, it was a sure bet that he would be putting up a fight. Thoughts about destiny and fate floated through her mind and she waved them away.

"Yeah," Cinder sighed eventually. She watched him for a second as he marveled at the view out the large window. His dark brown eyes were sparkling in the starlight. He looked back at her after a moment, and smirked.

"You planning on changing course?" he asked, mirroring her position and propping his boots next to hers on the console. He nudged her foot with his toe.

She smiled at their feet before answering. "I'm trying to get inspiration from Thorne."

Kai scrunched his nose. "From _Thorne_?"

"He never has any idea what he's doing, and yet he's so confident. I need that."

The lay in silence for another few beats as their eyes followed a tiny flashing satellite across the sky. Eventually, he lifted his legs off the console and leaned forward. His hair flopped over his forehead. "Confidence doesn't mean much when it comes down to it," he said. "I would know."

Cinder pursed her lips to the side before reached for one of his hands with her robotic one. Kai didn't hesitate before taking it in both of his. He squeezed her thin, dirty fingers between his own.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she admitted in a near whisper. Her voice shook in the near darkness of the room.

Kai lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "What can I do?"

A tiny, fluttering sigh tugged on her diaphragm and she closed her eyes to quiet the flashing alerts. "This," she said, before thinking.

She felt another kiss to her fingers, then another. Too afraid to end the moment, she kept her eyes closed tight as Kai rotated her hand in his and pressed a kiss to the smooth expanse of her metal wrist. She gasped and her eyes flew open.

He was smiling when she met his eyes. "Come on, this can't be what the universe _really_ needs."

Kai was joking, of course, but the reminder of reality hit her in the stomach like a punch in the gut. She tried to tug her hand away but he didn't let go. "Oh come on, I was just teasing," he said placatingly, now kissing the top of her hand.

"You're right though," she said, still tugging at her hand.

"Even revolutionary leaders need a few minutes to themselves." He relinquished her hand, only to lean forward and slip his hand around her neck. "Can you spare me a few?"

He was dangerously close now. As her retina display was reminding her, he had been this close several times since their first kiss in the hangar. A fact that even _Thorne_ was reluctant to believe. Ignorant cad. Her eyes lingered on the smooth pink curve of his upper lip and the length of his dark lashes.

She let her eyes fall closed as he pressed his lips to hers. With a flash of pride, she recalled how _familiar_ this felt now. The way he was so gentle with her, as though her machine parts made her fragile, when really her hand could probably crush the bones in his wrist. Eventually, he seemed to remember this, and as he wove his hands into her hair she let him deepen the kiss.

If Thorne caught them in here like this, he would never forgive her _or_ forget. The possibility gave her a bit of trepidation. However, the feel of Kai's lips on her jaw…

"You can't expect me to come up with a plan like this," she said, breathlessly as he dragged his fingertip down her neck.

"I'm just trying to help you relax so you _can_ think of something," he answered, and she could hear the smile in his voice as his lips now kissed where his fingers had been.

"That doesn't make sens-"

This time she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her to the edge of the captain's chair. His careful hands cradled her face as though it was a treasure, and his fingertips drew patterns against the sensitive flesh of her skull. For as much of her life as she could remember, no one had ever touched her so much. She was starved for it, and she had a feeling that Kai would make her some kind of addict.

She fisted the front of his shirt in an attempt to push him back. She really shouldn't tempt fate with someone finding them like this…

"Did I do something?" he asked, eyes looking somewhat dazed.

Cinder dragged her human hand over her face, before brushing her loose hairs away. "No. Just need...break." She laughed before she said, "You're overwhelming."

He cocked an eyebrow. "I've heard that before."

Cinder smacked his arm with her robotic hand, and laughed harder when he clutched it to his chest.

"No slapping the emperor!"

"Oh _please_ ," she snorted, waving a hand. "You're our prisoner, we treat you how we like!" As a peace offering, she held out her human hand for him to take. His palm was warm and smooth against hers as he curled his fingers around hers.

"Did that help?" he asked, eventually, mouth pulling into a smile.

"Hardly. I'm still a girl, after all."

He squeezed her hand in response.

"You know, you're the first person to ever really touch me?"

With his other hand, he ran a finger up from her wrist to her elbow. It was just not ticklish. She tightened her grip on his hand. "I was afraid that would be true…"

"People would hand me money, or grab my arm to scan my wrist. I'd brush someone's shoulder on the street or be tripped by some prejudice laser-brain...but not this." She drew in a deep, shaky breath as she felt her system became overcome with emotion. "Your kindness means so much to me Kai. I'm sorry that we had to go through all of this to actually spend time together."

Kai leaned close and brushed a thick lock of hair off her forehead. She could feel his slow and controlled breaths on her cheek. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I ever-"

"No, it's ok. That whole night was such a mess. I can't even imagine what you thought I was."

He waited a moment before he said, "Well, I thought you were beautiful. Does that count?"

Cinder looked down at the ground and tried to fight off a strong-willed smile. "I don't know anymore" She leaned forward to kiss him quickly. "I wish I knew what was going to happen after all of this is over."

Kai laughed bitterly and kissed her cheek once before sitting back in his chair. Their hands were still entwined between them. "Don't even try. I've never been right." He smiled apologetically before adding, "As much as I _want_ things to work out…"

"I know," she nodded, sadly. "I guess that's what I was up here trying to figure out-"

Suddenly a screen on the console beeped. Cinder jumped to her feet and searched frantically for the source of the sound. The chair spun wildly behind her. Her heart rate spiked, her body flooded with adrenaline. Had they been seen, had they been targeted?

Kai pointed towards a small screen closest to Cinder. "There."

She peered down at the message eagerly. " _Incoming D-COMM from_ _Artemisia_ _Palace_ _. Press [y] command to accept."_

"Stars," Cinder breathed, heart shuddering in her chest. "How? Who could send us a direct comm? No one has been on the ship since-" She gasped and dropped to the floor.

Kai stood up in alarm. "Who?"

Cinder fished around under the console to find a chip slot. She pushed aside coiled snakes of wire and cords until she found it. A lunar chip, just like the one that had led her to Cress. She felt her fear flow quickly into elation. "Jacin!" she cried, jumping to her feet.

" _Who_?"

"The palace guard. Levana's guard. He was on our ship, and we thought on our side."

She keyed in the yes command and accepted the comm. With wide eyes and high hopes, she watched the text on the small screen disappear, before new text took its place. One by one, bright green letters flashed on the screen.

 _She's alive. Safe for now. More soon._

As quickly as they'd come, they disappeared.

"Who's safe?" Kai asked, pressing his body behind hers. "Levana?"

"Scarlet," she sighed, feeling relief so strongly, her knees buckled. "I have to tell Wolf."

"How is she alive?"

"Does it matter?" Cinder grabbed his hand for balance. "He's still with us. I thought for sure he had been lying the whole time." Without another word, she headed off towards the crew quarters. "I have to tell him."

"Tell who?" she heard from close behind her. Kai's footsteps echoed her own.

Her throat was knotted tightly as she said, "Wolf."


	5. Wolf

Interludes

Chapter 5: Wolf

 **Author's Note:** Turns out Wolf is also hard to write... Either way, his emotions give me feels.

Disclaimer: All characters and previous events belong to Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles

* * *

He had never been one to waste time. It wasn't in his make-up. A hunter could not waste a day while tracking his prey. When tired, a fighter did not have the choice to take a break before defeating his opponent. When following orders, a soldier could never sit back on his heels and wait until the moment felt right.

Waiting, dangling in space (literally), while Scarlet was captured out there _somewhere,_ felt like the worst kind of torture.

Wolf covered his face with his hands. If he had been on Earth, he would run. He would run across the country until he found her. On the _Rampion_ there was no alternative. He had to sit and wait.

It had been three weeks since she'd been taken. Admittedly, he'd been unconscious for about five days of that period. For that, he was incredibly grateful. Since then, kidnapping aside, he's been laying on his bunk or Scarlet's. His thoughts were a murky blur of nothing. Eventually it was easier to exist with an empty mind.

Originally, scenarios ran through his head like wildfire. She'd been executed, she'd been tortured, she'd been imprisoned, she'd escaped, she'd fallen in love with someone else. As they progressed, they became more and more outlandish. Her face, once etched in his mind with accurate certainty, had begun to blur slightly at the edges. _Three weeks_.

If he thought hard enough, he could remember the shape of her lips, and they way they looked when she smirked at him. He could feel the thickness of her hair against his fingertips as he smelled any remnants of her shampoo on his pillow. A few weeks ago, he thought he would never forget the determined look on her face when she kissed him on the train. He forced himself not to. Now, even that was fading into uncertainty.

Mostly, he tried to take himself back to their last night together on the _Rampion._ When they lay together in his bed, learning the shapes of each others' bodies and hearts. The night she said she loved him. The night he knew he would never love anyone else.

She had felt so small under his hands that night. It didn't fit together with the strength she carried with her everywhere. He remembered counting her ribs under his fingers and he traced the soft skin. Her pulse was thrumming under his palm, fueling every motion of his body, as though it was his heart too.

The way she had kissed him that night made him sure that he had never really known what losing his mind was like. Every tense muscle in his body had relaxed, attuned to every motion of her lips, every breath in her lungs.

She was his _alpha_. The concept had become more and more apparent.

As the days since her capture ticked by, Wolf forced himself to believe that his friends cared about Scarlet; that they placed her safety high on their list of priorities. Even he knew the odds of her survival were thin. Perhaps he, above anyone, knew that truth.

With a loud sigh, he dragged the pads of his fingers over his face and through his short beard that was starting to grow. He had taken a few liberties with his hygiene in his state of depression. As if to remind him, his stomach rumbled loudly.

A knock on his door startled him, and he was instantly annoyed that he let his guard down. He was getting better at living a normal life, but adrenaline still made his instincts run wild. Swallowing down his urge to flee, he stalked over to the console by the door and slammed his fist into the open command. He glowered down at whoever was disrupting him until he realized it was the small frame of Cress, holding out a plate with a sandwich.

"Um, hi," she squeaked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I thought you might be hungry."

He wanted to send her away, but he saw a slab of red tomato hanging out the side of the sandwich and couldn't look away. His stomach growled again and Cress bit down on her lip to hide a smile.

Wolf studied her for a moment. She was small, tiny even. He could tell she felt uncomfortable in the surplus military clothing Thorne had on board. The sleeves of her t-shirt were rolled up to her shoulders and she had cuffed her pants to her calves. He watched her bare toes twiddle on the metal floor.

He was still surprised they had made such a good team during the kidnapping at the palace in the Eastern Commonwealth. She had little reason to trust him, but she had, and he was grateful for it. Wolf gave her a small smile, before his glower scared her away. "Thank you," he said, pleased to hear that the genuine gratitude he felt came through in his voice.

Cress handed him the plate. "You're welcome. We haven't seen much of you around and I just wanted to make sure you were taking care of yourself." She eyed his beard and raised an eyebrow.

Ignoring her, Wolf raised the plate to his nose and sniffed. Still canned tomatoes, but the bread and cheese made his mouth water. "This is very kind of you," he said. He realized, suddenly that he hadn't spoken to anyone for at least two days. He was shocked to feel the loneliness in his heart. For so long he was a solitary creature. Now, within weeks, he was surprisingly used to companionship. Without giving it much thought, he motioned inside his quarters. "Do you want to come in?"

Cress looked startled at first, and tried to hide her surprise by pushing the other side of her hair behind her ear. A nervous gesture. "Oh I don't want to intrude…"

"You aren't. You're a welcome visitor. Hiding in here isn't doing much for making things better," he said. "And I owe you an apology."

"Me?"

Wolf waved her in with his hand and Cress quickly slid past him, into his room. He left the door open. He gestured to a shipping crate in the corner and she sat down on top, legs crossed. Wolf lowered himself onto his bed. "Do you mind?" He pointed at the sandwich and she waved her hand in consent.

He finished it in four bites. Cress looked impressed. With an embarrassed shrug, he licked the tomato juices off his fingers and hands.

"Thank you," he said again, meeting her eyes. "I appreciate this kindness."

"You're welcome." Her cheeks flushed.

Wolf set the plate down on the floor and leaned on his knees. "I wanted to apologize to you for how I behaved at the palace."

Her eyebrow quirked. "What about it? I think we make a great team."

He smiled. "I agree. You're a lot stronger than you look."

Cress tugged bashfully on her short hair as though she was willing it to be longer.

"I wasn't very friendly. I knew you were trying to enjoy yourself at the wedding party." He scratched the back of his neck. "My coping mechanism has been getting things done as quickly as possible to make time move faster. It isn't a very good method."

"I understand."

"Even so," Wolf continued. "I should have been a more willing partner and a better...friend. I'm sorry."

With a shrug, Cress smiled widely at him. "I appreciate that." After a moment she narrowed her eyes. "How are you holding up?"

He wasn't sure he had the words to explain. How do you explain to someone that his heart had been removed from his body, that he was at a loss for direction in life and purpose? She would think he was cracked, like everyone else on board. He heaved his shoulders in a shrug, in hopes that it would communicate his feelings.

She pursed her lips to the side of her face. "I'm sorry. I wish I'd known Scarlet more. I'd be happy to talk about her...if you want. I don't know if that would make it worse."

He started back at her, blinking slowly as he took in deep breaths. Would it? He was constantly thinking about Scarlet, yet he hadn't bothered to say anything out loud. "I...don't know…" was all he could say.

"Tell me how you met," Cress asked, quietly.

Wolf arched a brow. "You really want to hear this?"

She bit down on her bottom lip to hide a smile. "Well, I'm a bit of a sucker for love. It's not really something I ever witnessed first hand as a child."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it. "Me neither."

She watched him quietly, without judgement.

"It was at a tavern," he said finally. "She brought me a sandwich."

Cress' skin broke out in a blush and Wolf couldn't help but laugh. "I guess a sandwich is the way to my heart. She was actually sticking up for Cinder after something that played on the netscreens. Everyone at the bar was drunk or on their way. It didn't go...well."

"Did she already know Cinder?"

He shook his head. "No, she had no idea they would somehow be connected. _I_ knew back then. At least, I'd been told to believe that was the truth. The men were saying rude things about the fact that Cinder was Lunar and a cyborg." He felt his eyebrows lower in a grimace. "People are...full of hate."

"I know," she replied quietly. "I was kidnapped just because I was Lunar. They _sold_ me." Cress blinked away the memory. "What did Scarlet do when she saw you?"

A smile pulled at his lips. "She helped me. Well, she offered me a tomato."

"Thats...kind."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "It was more than I deserved, but no one had ever shown me that much kindness before. I was practically drunk on it. She was…" He could picture Scarlet's face in his mind clear as day. There had been no hatred in her eyes then, only curiosity. Even then he'd thought that maybe...she saw something in him. Something not even he could see, something that would pull him out from the darkness he'd lived in so long.

His eyes flitted up to meet Cress' in the present. They were wide and waiting.

"I...wanted her. I can't explain it."

She broke their gaze to look down at her toes. "I know what you mean."

"I wanted her to help me, I wanted to help _her_. I wanted to know her, I wanted to be with her…" The reasons ticked through his head easily. They were infinite.

"You wanted to keep her?"

Cress' voice was so small, he barely heard it. She was still looking down at her feet. Wolf realized that perhaps he wasn't the only one with a wounded heart. "You know the feeling?" he asked gently.

She nodded, still hiding her face.

His eyes flitted to the open door. "Thorne?"

Her head snapped up instantly and her cheeks were already flushed as the blood rushed to her skin. "How did you…"

Wolf laughed quietly to himself. "It was a lucky guess, honestly. I haven't been very observant."

"Oh." Rather than elaborate, she asked a question. "Do you think Scarlet is your destiny?"

Destiny.

The concept gave him pause. Considering the start to his life, he never took time to believe in anything deeper than reality. No higher beings, no otherworldly concepts, not even himself. Did he believe in destiny?

He believed in Scarlet, and for some reason, she had believed in him.

"I was tasked with kidnapping her grandmother," he said, harshly. "I took the opportunity to run away." At the pause he chanced a look at his companion.

She waited.

"I was trying to free myself from the pack. Trying to make my own life. When I met Scarlet, I already knew who she was. I hadn't expected to...she was so… I couldn't abandon her." He swallowed bitterly. "If I'd never left the pack, I could have stopped the whole thing. I could have protected Scarlet and her life."

"But you would have lost her…"

Wolf's eyes snapped up. "I've run it over and over in my head. I don't regret it. I can't. She lost her grandmother and her whole life because of me." The truth weighed down on his heart like an anvil. He sucked in a deep breath. "But I'll never regret it."

His confession hung in the air around them like a heavy fog. It had been holding his heart down for days, yet saying it out loud eased the pressure slightly. He let out a sigh.

"I will never regret Carswell being blind," Cress said after a minute. "It probably makes me a monster."

He eyed her curiously.

"He never would have payed me any attention if he could see the whole time. We...needed each other. He let his guard down." She fumbled with her fingers in her lap.

Rather than address either of their confessions, Wolf asked a different question. "Do _you_ believe in destiny?"

Cress smiled to herself. "For a few days, I thought that I'd given it up. But now...after...um, well yes. I believe in it."

Wolf felt a lightness in his heart that seemed to ease three weeks of misery off his shoulder for the briefest moment. They shared a small, secret smile and he was grateful.

The sound of clomping footsteps down the hall ended their quiet moment far sooner than he would have liked. He stood up in anticipation and watched the door, hair standing on end at the back of his neck. At last, Cinder rounded the corner towards his door frame. Her boots skidded on the metal below her boots.

"A message," she said, gasping for air. Kai appeared beside her, eyeing Wolf with equally wide eyes.

"From Jacin I think," Cinder managed, gasping for breath.

Wolf leapt forward to grasp both her arms. "About Scarlet?" He felt Cress close behind him.

Cinder nodded, and gripped his elbows in return. "She's alive."

He felt as though all the muscles and tendons disappeared from his body. He collapsed onto the floor with his hands over his face.

She followed him down, pressing a hand into his shoulder. "He said, 'She's alive. Safe for now.'"

His body shook with relief. "Thank you," he gasped, barely able to speak. "Thank _him_."

Cinder nodded. "I hope this means he's still on our side. I hoped, but wasn't sure."

He felt another hand on his shoulder. _Cress_. Without thinking, he reached up and pressed his palm flat against her fingers.

 _Alive._ Scarlet was alive.

The lightness in his heart from before remained, making his chest seem full and warm. He let out a shuddering breath and felt hot tears on his cheek.

 _Alive._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is the last of my intended chapters right now. I really don't care to venture into Kai's prissy head, thank you very much, lol. Possible room for Winter and Jacin after _Winter_ is released, but no promises. Marking as complete for now! Thanks all!


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